City Break Prague - Czech Republic Travel Story
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Title: City Break Prague
Website: http://www.facebook.com/Nathen_Amin
Prague To half of you it is known as the 'city of a hundred spires', its preserved gothic heritage a major part of it's appeal to some of the many millions of tourists who visit this Central Europe destination each year; to the rest of you it is a stag-party heaven promising cheap drink, women and fun. From whichever excited perspective you approach the runway at the Ruzyne Airport 10km outside the City, the 'Golden City' does indeed cater to everyone's taste, regardless of the extracurricular activities you should choose. Prague (Praha locally) is a sprawling gothic metropolis home to 1.2million split split by the impressive River Vltava in a way reminiscent of the Thames in London or the Liffey in Dublin (1), a beautiful city that has been included on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in a statement of intent about the fabulous architecture that awaits the open-eyed tourist. The unusual choice for a rugby tour in a country that is not seemingly a rugby-loving nation (it's not), there was a reason for my venture into the capital of the Czech Republic (never Czechoslovakia, be warned!) for 5 days of unrestricted free living and it certainly wasn’t for the Scrums.AccomodationWhilst the game naturally came and went in a forgetful 80minutes, the rest of the trip would prove anything but. We stayed in a hotel that was not only part of the Czech Technical University (an important place apparently?), the Masarykova Kolej was also a KGB office in its previous incarnation, an intriguing link to a bygone era and a constant reminder of the country's past legacy in spite of the current economic and cultural growth. The hotel was reasonably priced, converting to about £15 a night. Located in Praha 6 (the city is split into districts, not unlike London Boroughs), we were on the edge of a busy road about 10minutes walk from the city centre but within touching distance of the impressive Metro system. Operating from 5am to Midnight, the metro is the quickest most effective, not to mention the funniest way around the city. The characters you can meet on such a system are well known to city dwellers the globe over, although how many people have met a man talking directly to chicken bones remains to be seen! Beware though, this system is not free and you must ensure you buy your tickets from the many newspaper kiosks dotted around the city or face massive penalties from the plain-clothes 'officers' who frequently aim to catch out tourists.SightseeingThe first must-see moment for the newcomer to Prague is the literally unmissable Prague Castle (2), the massive medieval structure dominating the Prague skies, symbolic of its important role as the historic home of Czech Kings, Roman Emperors and recent Presidents. Much like London's Tower, the Czech Crown Jewels are kept here, safe within the confines of one of the World's largest and durable castles. The sheer size of the structure is baffling, its popularity evident by the mass hordes of people of every nationality clicking the camera's away with the dedication and fervour of a Hollywood Paparazzo. An interesting sidepiece of the castle is the equally jaw-dropping Saint Vitus's Cathedral, a large Gothic Structure punctuated by intricate stained glass designs and multiple macabre tombs of medieval Bohemian King's. Just as can be expected from a compact city centre, it is easy to get from the Castle across the unique Charles Bridge and into Wenceslas Square, the Piccadilly-like epicentre of Prague's famed nightlife. The Charles Bridge (3) the co-star of such Hollywood films as Mission:Impossible, XXX as well as being featured in Kanye West’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” video, spans the Vltava decorated by over 30 large gothic, almost ghoul-like statues. This fun sight-seeing spot is popular amongst all ages, as evident by how busy the bridge gets in the day, the many kiosks and traders scattered across the cobbled roads taking advantage of the tourists and their need for gifts. Speaking of cobbled roads, exercise caution, they can be tricky to manoeuvre if elderly or just nimble on your feet, as witnessed several times watching burly rugby men hit the ground in pain. There are also taxi’s readily available, although being the victim of a rip-off in our first few hours in the city I would advise anyone wishing to use the taxi’s to make sure you agree on a price before entering the vehicle, and under no circumstance go by the meter; the drivers tend to raise prices 100% at least for non-Czech speaking passengers as well as taking you to places other than you requested for the reason they get paid by nightclub owners to take you to their clubs.Nightlife The nightlife revolves around Wenceslas Square in the city centre, a famous area steeped in the history of the Czech nation but more important these days (to the eternal dismay of locals) as the hub of all nightlife activities from fast-food joints to the strip clubs and prostitutes that litter the area, ensuring this becoming the undisputed stag capital of Europe. The Square has many pubs and nightclubs dotted around the locality although the tourists should be aware of what sort of establishment they are entering: many ‘nightclubs’ simply being adult clubs with live sex-shows, not the place you want to unwittingly wander into with the missus! One negative of this busy spot is much like other major European cities pickpockets are rife, especially in the guise of Prostitutes luring in unsuspecting visitors. A tactic we witnessed was that they will swarm you and empty your pockets quickly. They also tend to be accompanied by pimps or minders so exercise caution and stay away from alleyways to avoid these people, just like any other situation, common sense will see you will remain safe. One place that must be visited is Rocky O’Reilly’s, an Irish bar owned and operated by Sean Curran and Robbie Norton, two charming Irish expatriates who appeared to be genuinely pleased to talk to us, despite the undoubtedly endless other people who must pass through here on a daily basis. The “Full Monty”, a massive meal consisting of ribs, steak, prawns, scampi, chicken wings, garlic bread, mushrooms etc was the perfect way to start (and end) each day, a meal that is almost enough to single handedly drag me back to Prague, all for £4. The perfect drink to accompany the meal would be a pint of Budweiser Budvar; unlike its commercial American cousin, a genuine locally brewed Ale with such an irresistible taste it has to be drunk with all the care and attention of a wine connoisseur sipping the finest wines in the region…an unusual sight for a group of rugby players! The prices for a trip to Prague are reasonable, a quick check on myprague.net reveal return flights from London for as little as £94, a small price to pay when you consider accommodation is cheap, a full meal can be bought for as little as a couple of quid and the average price of a pint is £1.03p! All in all, Prague is a city with something for everyone despite its reputation as a stag-capital of late, a truly modern city within the breath-taking confines of a medieval gothic paradise.
Website: http://www.facebook.com/Nathen_Amin
Prague To half of you it is known as the 'city of a hundred spires', its preserved gothic heritage a major part of it's appeal to some of the many millions of tourists who visit this Central Europe destination each year; to the rest of you it is a stag-party heaven promising cheap drink, women and fun. From whichever excited perspective you approach the runway at the Ruzyne Airport 10km outside the City, the 'Golden City' does indeed cater to everyone's taste, regardless of the extracurricular activities you should choose. Prague (Praha locally) is a sprawling gothic metropolis home to 1.2million split split by the impressive River Vltava in a way reminiscent of the Thames in London or the Liffey in Dublin (1), a beautiful city that has been included on the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in a statement of intent about the fabulous architecture that awaits the open-eyed tourist. The unusual choice for a rugby tour in a country that is not seemingly a rugby-loving nation (it's not), there was a reason for my venture into the capital of the Czech Republic (never Czechoslovakia, be warned!) for 5 days of unrestricted free living and it certainly wasn’t for the Scrums.AccomodationWhilst the game naturally came and went in a forgetful 80minutes, the rest of the trip would prove anything but. We stayed in a hotel that was not only part of the Czech Technical University (an important place apparently?), the Masarykova Kolej was also a KGB office in its previous incarnation, an intriguing link to a bygone era and a constant reminder of the country's past legacy in spite of the current economic and cultural growth. The hotel was reasonably priced, converting to about £15 a night. Located in Praha 6 (the city is split into districts, not unlike London Boroughs), we were on the edge of a busy road about 10minutes walk from the city centre but within touching distance of the impressive Metro system. Operating from 5am to Midnight, the metro is the quickest most effective, not to mention the funniest way around the city. The characters you can meet on such a system are well known to city dwellers the globe over, although how many people have met a man talking directly to chicken bones remains to be seen! Beware though, this system is not free and you must ensure you buy your tickets from the many newspaper kiosks dotted around the city or face massive penalties from the plain-clothes 'officers' who frequently aim to catch out tourists.SightseeingThe first must-see moment for the newcomer to Prague is the literally unmissable Prague Castle (2), the massive medieval structure dominating the Prague skies, symbolic of its important role as the historic home of Czech Kings, Roman Emperors and recent Presidents. Much like London's Tower, the Czech Crown Jewels are kept here, safe within the confines of one of the World's largest and durable castles. The sheer size of the structure is baffling, its popularity evident by the mass hordes of people of every nationality clicking the camera's away with the dedication and fervour of a Hollywood Paparazzo. An interesting sidepiece of the castle is the equally jaw-dropping Saint Vitus's Cathedral, a large Gothic Structure punctuated by intricate stained glass designs and multiple macabre tombs of medieval Bohemian King's. Just as can be expected from a compact city centre, it is easy to get from the Castle across the unique Charles Bridge and into Wenceslas Square, the Piccadilly-like epicentre of Prague's famed nightlife. The Charles Bridge (3) the co-star of such Hollywood films as Mission:Impossible, XXX as well as being featured in Kanye West’s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone” video, spans the Vltava decorated by over 30 large gothic, almost ghoul-like statues. This fun sight-seeing spot is popular amongst all ages, as evident by how busy the bridge gets in the day, the many kiosks and traders scattered across the cobbled roads taking advantage of the tourists and their need for gifts. Speaking of cobbled roads, exercise caution, they can be tricky to manoeuvre if elderly or just nimble on your feet, as witnessed several times watching burly rugby men hit the ground in pain. There are also taxi’s readily available, although being the victim of a rip-off in our first few hours in the city I would advise anyone wishing to use the taxi’s to make sure you agree on a price before entering the vehicle, and under no circumstance go by the meter; the drivers tend to raise prices 100% at least for non-Czech speaking passengers as well as taking you to places other than you requested for the reason they get paid by nightclub owners to take you to their clubs.Nightlife The nightlife revolves around Wenceslas Square in the city centre, a famous area steeped in the history of the Czech nation but more important these days (to the eternal dismay of locals) as the hub of all nightlife activities from fast-food joints to the strip clubs and prostitutes that litter the area, ensuring this becoming the undisputed stag capital of Europe. The Square has many pubs and nightclubs dotted around the locality although the tourists should be aware of what sort of establishment they are entering: many ‘nightclubs’ simply being adult clubs with live sex-shows, not the place you want to unwittingly wander into with the missus! One negative of this busy spot is much like other major European cities pickpockets are rife, especially in the guise of Prostitutes luring in unsuspecting visitors. A tactic we witnessed was that they will swarm you and empty your pockets quickly. They also tend to be accompanied by pimps or minders so exercise caution and stay away from alleyways to avoid these people, just like any other situation, common sense will see you will remain safe. One place that must be visited is Rocky O’Reilly’s, an Irish bar owned and operated by Sean Curran and Robbie Norton, two charming Irish expatriates who appeared to be genuinely pleased to talk to us, despite the undoubtedly endless other people who must pass through here on a daily basis. The “Full Monty”, a massive meal consisting of ribs, steak, prawns, scampi, chicken wings, garlic bread, mushrooms etc was the perfect way to start (and end) each day, a meal that is almost enough to single handedly drag me back to Prague, all for £4. The perfect drink to accompany the meal would be a pint of Budweiser Budvar; unlike its commercial American cousin, a genuine locally brewed Ale with such an irresistible taste it has to be drunk with all the care and attention of a wine connoisseur sipping the finest wines in the region…an unusual sight for a group of rugby players! The prices for a trip to Prague are reasonable, a quick check on myprague.net reveal return flights from London for as little as £94, a small price to pay when you consider accommodation is cheap, a full meal can be bought for as little as a couple of quid and the average price of a pint is £1.03p! All in all, Prague is a city with something for everyone despite its reputation as a stag-capital of late, a truly modern city within the breath-taking confines of a medieval gothic paradise.
